Constructing Highly Active Ni/WO2 Heterojunction Interface for Selective Hydrogenation of Cinnamaldehyde

Abstract Due to the competitive reaction between C═O and C═C, the selective synthesis of hydrocinnamaldehyde (HCAL) as a perfume compound from cinnamaldehyde (CAL) is still challenging. Here, a novel Ni/WO2 heterojunction interface is constructed by an excessive impregnation approach. Notably, the Ni/WO2 heterojunction displays the best activity and selectivity among all synthesized samples, achieving 98.5% conversion of CAL and 92.5% selectivity toward HCAL. Further mechanism studies reveal that electrons are transferred from Ni to WO2 to form an electron-deficient/electron-rich Ni/WO2 heterojunction after the introduction of W. The corresponding interaction facilitates the capture of C═C, thus increasing the activity and selectivity. This study offers new insights into optimizing nonprecious metal catalyst components in hydrogenation reactions.